Ready to travel through time? This summer’s historical fiction lineup spans centuries and continents, from ancient Egypt to 1970s New York City. These are the books we’ll be staying up late to finish this summer.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (5/5)
In her first novel since the #1 bestselling phenomenon The Help, Kathryn Stockett returns with a spirited story set in 1933 Mississippi. Three women down on their luck cross paths and band together to face their challenges. In a time and place where women have very little power, their defiant plans put them in danger, and they must decide how much to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
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The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung (5/5)
It’s 1950, and Chinese-American journalist Ellie Chang gets stranded in North Korea when her plane is shot down. She’s sure this is the end, until she meets a Korean woman named Emma, who protects Ellie by claiming her as her long-lost daughter. The two women share hope—one to find her lost child, and one to return to freedom. Their journey explores the bonds between women—especially in the worst of times.
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A Harlem Wedding by Tiffany Warren (5/12)
As the daughter of W. E. B. Du Bois, Yolande is expected to marry poet Countee Cullen—but her heart belongs to jazz musician Jimmie Lunceford. Lush, dramatic, and steeped in the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, this novel explores love, ambition, and what it means to choose your own path in a world determined to choose for you.
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The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline (5/12)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline reimagines a remarkable true story: the world-famous conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker in 19th-century North Carolina—and the two sisters who loved them. What begins as fascination turns into complex, boundary-pushing marriages that defy societal expectations. Spanning decades and set at the brink of the Civil War, The Foursome explores love, identity, and the cost of forging your own path in a world determined to define it for you.
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The Hope Keeper by Heather Webb (5/19)
After her twin brother’s sudden death, Elisabeth Beaumont is determined to save her family’s struggling jewelry business—even if it means courting the enigmatic socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. It’s 1919 Washington, D.C., and Elisabeth is drawn into a glittering world of wealth—where the seductive pull of the infamous Hope Diamond takes center stage. But as ambition blurs into obsession, she must decide how far she’s willing to go—and what she might lose—chasing a life that no longer feels like her own.
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Behind Five Willows by June Hur (5/26)
From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a swoony, Austen-inspired historical romance set in 1792 Korea. Haewon spends her days secretly transcribing banned novels to help support her family, while Seojun is hiding the fact that he’s a writer. When their worlds collide, sharp first impressions give way to unexpected chemistry, and what begins as irritation soon turns into something far more dangerous in a society where both love and literature come at a cost.
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Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See (6/2)
In 1870 Los Angeles, New York Times-bestselling author Lisa See brings to life the story of three Chinese women—Dove, Petal, and Moon—each arriving in Los Angeles under vastly different circumstances. Bound together by hardship and unexpected friendship, they navigate a world of prejudice together and fight to claim a brighter future.
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Land by Maggie O’Farrell (6/2)
Buried treasure, a loyal dog, and a father-son duo up against the odds? Maggie O’Farrell delivers a spellbinding tale set in 1865 Ireland, in the aftermath of the Great Hunger. Ten-year-old Liam and his father Tomás embark on an adventure shaped by land, history, and family that will change their lives.
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A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (6/2)
It’s 1936, and two trailblazing women in New York—Eunice Carter, the city’s first Black female prosecutor, and high-society madam Polly Adler—join forces to take down notorious gangster Lucky Luciano. Bridging worlds and risking everything, their unlikely alliance sparks one of the most sensational trials the city has ever seen.
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The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester (6/2)
From New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester comes a feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre set in the 1950s at the famous Hollywood hotel, Chateau Marmont. Newly orphaned Aria goes to live with her aunt in the hotel, where she discovers insidious secrets—and a handsome yet reclusive rock star. All she wants is to keep her head down and earn enough money to start a life of her own, but the hotel offers risks and rewards—if she’s willing to pursue something even greater.
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Liberty Street by Heather Marshall (6/16)
In 1961 Ontario, Emily Radcliffe lands the story of a lifetime when a letter from an inmate at Mercer Women’s Prison arrives on her desk. Determined to expose the truth, she goes undercover, but the notorious prison proves more dangerous than she ever imagined. Decades later, in 1996, Detective Rachel Mackenzie uncovers remains tied to Mercer, and the secrets of the past collide with her own hidden family trauma. Inspired by true events, the dual timelines intertwine beautifully, demonstrating the power of female connection and the cost of uncovering the truth.
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Isis of Egypt: Goddess of Thrones by Malayna Evans (6/23)
Travel back to ancient Egypt, where the goddess Isis will stop at nothing to save her husband, Osiris, from the wrath of a vengeful god. When Osiris is trapped in a mysterious box, Isis disguises herself as a mortal and spends decades searching for him, risking everything to reclaim both love and power. Malayna Evans’s portrayal of the Isis myth reveals the sacrifices we make for those we love, with all the magic, romance and danger that keeps us connected to these ancient myths.
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When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams (6/23)
In 2023, Lucy Cooper returns to her late father’s New England estate and discovers his obsession with a legendary pirate treasure buried in 1717. Thirteen summers ago, her fleeting romance with Ben Ressler changed everything, and now he’s back as old secrets and passions resurface. Beatriz Williams delivers a thrilling, heartfelt story of love, forgiveness, and the treasures we carry in our hearts.
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An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton (7/7)
When astronaut Joe Mitchell disappears in 1968, the world mourns—but his wife Vivian refuses to let him go. Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author, delivers a sweeping story of romance and determination, as Vivian relives their love and fights to uncover the truth behind Joe’s disappearance during America’s race to the Moon.
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The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (7/14)
In 1940s Veracruz, Mexico, Ulises is a charming con with a plan to steal a widow’s fortune. But when perceptive Inés catches on, the scheme spirals into something far riskier. From New York Times bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Intrigue mixes lust, greed, and dark humor in a noir story where no one’s heart—or wallet—is safe.
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Lady X by Molly Fader (7/14)
Los Angeles, 2024. New York, 1977. In Lady X, Molly Fader spins a propulsive tale of women fighting back. Margot uncovers her mother’s vigilante past, a story of revenge, and a movement that blurs justice and chaos. From gritty city streets to family secrets, this novel explores how female rage echoes across generations.
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Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (7/21)
#1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead delivers the final volume of his Harlem trilogy. It’s 1980s New York, and Ray Carney has a lot to deal with: one last heist, his aging partner Pepper, and his remorse over the death of his friend, Freddie—whose son now needs rescuing. Whitehead paints a gritty portrait of the city with characters impossible to forget.
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The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer (7/21)
When Fiona Winslow returns to her decaying ancestral home to fix it up, she finds a mysterious book—the contents of which seem to mirror her own life of loss and betrayal. Told in multiple timelines and set in a gothic Australian mansion, bestselling author Kelly Rimmer spins a tale of secrets and stories, revealing mysteries that have waited generations to be uncovered.
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